Indian team to visit US this week for trade talks

A TEAM OF Indian officials will visit the US again this week to take forward the discussions on a trade agreement (BTA), which both sides aim to conclude by November end, a senior official said on Monday.

- MUKESH JAGOTA

The Indian team will be inthe US from October 15-17, and Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal is likely to join them.

The talks this time, like the past two engagements, are unlikely to be through a formal structure. “Talks are progressing in a positive atmosphere,’ said the official. Negotiations were going on at multiple levels to conclude the trade agreement, the official said, while refusing to get into the specifics.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, who arrived in India for a six-day visit on October 6, held meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on October 11.On Sunday, he met Agrawal.